Curran

I'm very surprised by the Omori School papers. Personally, I thought this was high grade Kaga Kinko up there with some of the examples in the Kaga Kinko Taikan.

Hi Stephen, Let it go. He'd want you to let it go. As recently as 5 weeks ago, JL was feeling good and upbeat. He'd just bought a masame tanto that he didn't live to actually see. His passing takes some of the wind out of my own sails, as I've lost a parent and JL to cancer in the past 6 months. JL had hard odds stacked against him. He had his moments of doubt, but 5 weeks ago he was standing brave in a fight he knew that he probably couldn't win. He worked in biochemistry and knew the odds. May I face death half as honorably as he did. Not that the world cares, but he faced it head on. I will miss him. I will remember his death when I face my own.

Yes. I wanted that Tegai/Hosho when it was available, but it wasn't an feasible when you were listing it. I was glad Jeremiah got it. We discussed it every now and then, and I always thought it would go to Hosho if repapered. Heaven knows I do that with tsuba now and then, when I see something that is better than whatever the NBTHK labeled it at one point. Last I knew, that sword was still with Mike. Y.. Still processing J.'s death. This is a photo of J.' during his youth as a boxer.

Our friend Jeremiah Lilly has passed. Jeremiah Lilly Obituary - Chelmsford, MA | Blake Chelmsford Funeral Home & Cremation Service He almost always sent us chocolates each Christmas. He'd been fighting cancer, but [last month] he convinced me that recent prognosis was looking much better. JL had just bought one of his favored masame tanto about 5 weeks ago, which would imply to me that he wasn't just putting on a good face. We agreed to disagree about various books and works of science fiction. Angry and sad at the moment, I will miss him.

Depending on the Japanese scholar or writer, there are some areas specifically associated with Kanayama smith. BUT, take them with a grain of salt. My memory says they don't quite agree on where, but it may also be in part to the evolution of villages, towns, cities, to large cities. The amount of yakite on Kanayama (and some Ono) does seem to have hit a crescendo in earliest Edo. How that popularity tracts with the popularity of wabi tea and Buke culture, the our tea guys would better be able to say.

Hmm. I only own one Kanayama. It is a longtime favorite ex. Jim Gilbert. For me, one of my desired "One n Done". I will need to pull it from the tansu tomorrow and give it a serious look. Were it not my love for Ono tsuba, I probably would own a few more Kanayama. 1 Kanayama vs 3 Ono.

Ah yes. I help moderate one of those groups. When asked to do so, the head mod had warned me we would have see a lot of the "what did I buy?" posts. Most aren't that bad, but there are some... that I know will get the poster flamed out of the group if I approve it to the group.

This was a popular fake back in the day. Lots of these floating around, but they slowly floated away to be banished to many a closet or mistake drawer. It seems someone found one. Maybe someone tarting it up a bit more than the average one. https://auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/v1178415852 Never the less, AVOID. If you have been hitting the Jim Bean and find it pretty, bring it home to your own mistake drawer.

My personal opinion is that the Kanayama tsuba had a longer period of production. At least 75 years, but not more than 150 years. With the 25-30 year period, are you referencing a specific text or teacher. I admit that I don't know the texts very well when it comes to Kanayama.

I agree with Shonai, though @kyushukairu nailed it a lot harder than I could. I was very tempted to bid on this tsuba. *Had* to resist, but I did cave and buy another Shonai work recently. For me, the differences Shonai vs Higo are most visible in: (a) the copper [I'm avoiding the yamagane vs suaka topic] (b) patina recipe (c) design and carving style I totally get the Shonai vs Higo (mostly 3rd gen and later Nishigaki) on this sort of tsuba. Without checking the books, memory either the 2nd or 3rd gen Nishigaki had some Shonai training or a teacher who was Shonai trained ? I think that came from Markus Sesko's works.

Yes, probably one of the Mito school or many subschools. Interesting theme. I know of dragonflies on a line being used to hunt other insects, but I don't recall having seen it on fittings before.

a long time ago...

I also suspect that I saw this tsuba before. There is also something about the Issei Naruiki seppa dai that seems consistently his work to me.

For many years, I owned one of his Nobuiye utsushi before trading it to Prof. Arnold Frenzel for a different tsuba. The high sheen yet matted 'almost yakite' patina really stuck with me. For a while, a lot of his tsuba came to market. That has since dried up and price on them going up a bit. I've often debated owning another one. I wasn't that crazy about my former Nobuiye utsushi, but some of his utsushi are very pleasing.

Is this not a modern (20th & 21st Century) tsuba by Issei Naruki? I believe he has passed and his tsuba are now earning NBTHK Hozon. That one tekkotsu throws me a bit. Otherwise, this looks like his workmanship. [edit 10 minutes later: ah, now I understand. Found image source]

Interesting discussion. The topic of Christianity on tsuba in Japan is something I have always left to other collectors in the USA. I never thought about the aspect of the boats before. But why not? The Venetians certainly took their religion along as part of their merchant empire. Why not the Spaniards and Portugeuse?

It is a common enough name. And that isn't a picture of the Danny you are asking about. The last time I googled the name of a friend, the first match was to a sex offender in a nearby state. It totally skipped over my friend, though my friend worked in IT for the government and had his name up all over the place. If the internet can take you to the twisted and muck-raking, it will. I have an extremely uncommon name, but there are at least 4 of us here in the USA. 3 of which ARE NOT me.

Nice tsuba, and nice looking rig. Not all Ohno (or Ono) are great, but Ohno tsuba deserve more respect.

Thank you for the updates on this. Hackman is an example, and checking in on a bachelor uncle was once part of my own life. I am glad you guys could confirm he is okay.

Wife is Hermes level leather expert, so the leather has been well cared for the last 2 years. Koshirae has a full length tsunagi, which I will photograph later. Anything else? PM me.

NMB, Price: $450 + shipping ASK. We'll go from there. Yes, how did this end up with the Tosogu tsuba guy? It was part of a cash+trade a year or two ago. I liked it, but I don't know much about it. With recent major tsuba purchases, I'm letting go of a most anything not Higo or Owari. Ask Questions. As time and dog permit, I will post more photos this weekend. Curran

@Deez77 Yours would be a good example of what Steve's write-up refers to a later "blending in" where the symbol loses its original meaning (like the Confederate Flag). Or (joking here) yours it could be philosophically broadcasting, "Don't blame me, I'm just a samurai cog in the shogunate machine". It definitely resembles a gear or cog. Steve's on the other hand.... looks like much of the symbolism found in the few preserved bits of Japan's Christian history.

Yes. I wondered that too. It looked more Late Edo Toppei Koshirae . Not Tensho. But Aoi makes a lot of mistakes in their high volume turnover.

Rivkin's post = my own thoughts. Even studying tsuba for 25+ years, Soten is one of the schools I know less. I've seen maybe >1000 and would say this is one of the nicer ones. Even with my experience, I'd hesitate to offer an opinion on the signatures. Soethebies does only a minimum amount to vet a signature. They do try a bit... but not a lot. Take their opinion very loosely. As to value- probably take what they sold for in 2006 and discount it a small bit. Soten tsuba have not held nor raised (nor dropped) in value as much as some other schools.

PM sent.